Splitting sheet material



Oct. 15, 1940. Q JOHNSQN SPLIT'IING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 17, 1938 Patented Oct. 15, 1940 PATENT, OFFICE SPLITTING SHEET MATERIAL Charles E Johnson, Belmont, Mass., assignor to 'UnitedShoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation ,of New Jersey Application December 17,1938, Serial No. 246,391

'2 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for operating upon pieces of work and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for splitting a soleshaped blank into an outsole having a projection on its forepart and an insole having a correspondingly located complemental opening. 4 In the splitting of such blanks it is common "to make use of a machine having a knife and a pair-of matrix and patrix-rolls which act to feed the blank past the knife and to distorta portion which is split in such manner as to cause the cut of the knife to form the projection and the complementary opening referred to above. A comparatively heavy pressure must be applied to the blank to distort it but a less pressure is desirable during the splitting of that portion of the blank which is not distorted.

- -According to the present invention there is provided a machine for operating upon a piece of work and means for applying a greater pressure to one portion of the piece than to another during the said operation. In the illustrated machine a sole-shaped blank is split by means of a -'knife to which the blank is fed by cooperating -matrix and patrix rolls which distort a portion of the blank during part of the splitting operation' and maintain another portion undistorted, 'two means being provided for causing relative movement of approach of the rolls, both means being effective during the splitting of the distorted portion of the-blank and only one means being effective during the splitting of an undistorted portion.

These and other features of the invention, in- 35 cluding certain details of construction and combination of parts of the machine, will be set forth as embodied in an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a machine in which the present invention is embodied; and r Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of a piece of Work after it has been operated upon by the machine.

' The illustrated machine is an improvement upon the machine of United States LettersPatent No. 2,082,057, granted June 1, 1937, upon an application filed in the name of Charles E. Hood; andbefore describing what is new a brief description of the old machine will be given. The purpose of the machine is to split a sole-shaped blank into an outsole having a projection'on its 'forepart and an insole having a correspondingly located complemental opening which may, or

may not, extend entirely through said insole. The machine is provided with'a matrix roll 5 and a patrix roll I, which are rotated intermittently in the directions indicated by the arrows, andv The rolls come to rest with a stationary knife 9. spaced apart a distance which is just slightly less than the thickness'of a sole-shaped blank I00, which is to be split. A single rotation of the rolls is started by depressing the treadle, not

shown. and-this depressionof the treadle also starts the downwardpresentation of a blank 500,

which engages withitsforward-end a toe gage H on thepatrix rollfk This isthe position of the parts shown. During the completion of the "rotation of the rolls, the blank is split into an This sort of a blank has beenchosen for illus-' --tratio n for reasons which will appear later.

7 The illustrated machine differs from the pat- .ent'ed machine in-the feature, immaterial so far as the present invention-is concerned, that the matrix and patrix rolls have been transposed so that -.in the illustrated machine the patrix roll is the roll which yields; and the brief description ofthe patented machine, which follows, should be read with this change in mind.- The illustrated machine, like that of the machine of the patent, is double,'that is, there are two patrices' on the patrix roll and two matrices on the 'matrix roll so that blanks are split-two at a time by the knife, but since the patrices and matrices are alike only one patrix and its cooperating matrix will be referred tor The matrix roll 5 is rotatably mounted in a roll-carrier comprising a pair of arms connected by a-Web, one of which arms is shown at l3, said arms being pivoted at their "upper ends about the alined axes of trunnions, not shown. The roll carrier consistingof the connected arms l3 may be adjusted manually about the axes of the trunnions about which the .arms are pivoted so as to vary the distance from the edge of the knife' to the adjacent surfacepivoted at their upper ends about the axes of trunnions, not shown. Two coiled springs, one of which is shown at H, acting respectively upon the arms 55 of this second roll-carrier tend at all times to swing it to the left and thus to move the patrix roll bodily toward the matrix roll. The angular position of the roll-carrier comprising the arms l5, and hence the distance of the patrix roll from the matrix roll, when no work is passing through the machine, is determined by the position of a rod I9 which is mounted in bores in the lower ends of the arms l5. This rod [9 is moved bodily at times to the right into the position shown and is afterward permitted to be moved to the left by the springs IT. The bodily movement of the rod E9 to the right is caused by movement of a slide rod 2|,

which is mounted in the frame of the machine and is moved lengthwise at certain times to limit the extent of possible movement of the patrix roll toward the matrix roll. Certain opposed beveled portions on the rods l9 and 2| are not shown but there is shown one of the slidable pins 23, the opposite beveled ends of which engage the beveled portions of the rods, so that sliding of the rod 2! swings the patrix rollcarrier to the right against the force of the springs ll.

In the operation of the machine the rod 2| is automatically moved in and out at the proper times to control the extent to which the patrix roll can be moved to the left. The machine come to rest after one revolution of the rolls with the patrix roll held away from the matrix roll, so that the space between them is sufiicient to permit the leading end of the blank to enter readily between the rolls. When the forward end of the blank so enters and is contacted by the patrix, the patrix roll is moved somewhat to the right against the force of the springs ll, these springs exerting a heavy pressure since the forepart of the blank must be distorted while it is being split. It is desirable, when the blank is presented to the rolls, that the rolls should be held spaced somewhat as described above so as to ensure that in the rotation of the rolls the patrix cannot contact with the knife but they should not be so held during the entire splitting operation. Instead, the springs ll should be permitted to move the patrix roll nearer to the matrix roll during the latter portion of the splitting operation so as to ensure that the blank will be discharged from the machine. To this end the rod 2| which, before the machine came to rest, was slid in a direction to prevent the patrix roll from being moved nearer to the matrix roll than the position shown in the drawing, is slid in the other direction to free the patrix roll after the splitting of the distorted portion of the sole has been completed. This release of the patrix roll takes place after distortion of the forepart of the blank and the cutting of the projection 360 on the outsole has been completed and during the splitting of the shank portion of the blank. The machine, as thus far described, is, or may be, the same as the machine of the patent with the immaterial difference referred to above, that the matrix and patrix rolls have been transposed, and with the further difierence that the springs ll of the illustrated machine exert less pressure than the corresponding springs of the patented machine, the reason for this latter difference being explained below.

When the splitting of the distorted forepart of the blank has been completed and the patrix roll is released, a suddenly applied heavy pressure is exerted upon the blank over a comparatively small area, this sudden pressure having the approximate effect of a blow which sometimes causes the cut of the knife to change its direction, this objectionable result being particularly likely to occur when the blank is a laminated one. Referring to Fig. 2 at about the locality indicated by the arrow, the patrix roll, which is in contact with the layer 500, is released and suddenly exerts a heavy pressure at this locality. When this occurs, the cut 100 may be deflected toward the layer 500 and, if it is sufliciently deflected to reach the joint 800 between the layer 500 and the leather, it tends to follow this joint during the completion of the splitting operation. A heavy pressure is necessary during the splitting of the distorted portion of the blank but a lesser pressure is sufficient during the splitting of that portion of the blank which is not distorted.

According to the present invention, a heavy pressure is applied when it is needed, namely, during the distortion of the blank, and a less pressure while the blank is not bein distorted. To this end the springs I! are made lighter than those of the patented machine, or the screw bolts, one of which is shown at 23 which vary the tension of these springs, are backed ofi; and the patrix roll is urged toward the matrix roll during the distortion of the blank not only by these springs H but by other means which do not act upon the patrix roll when that roll is released to press upon that portion of the blank which is not distorted. As herein illustrated, two springpressed plungers, one of which is shown at 25, are provided to act respectively upon the lower ends of the two arms I of the patrix-mll-carrier. These plungers and the manner in which they are mounted are alike. The stem of each plunger 25 is slidable in a bore in the cylindrical reduced end of a casing 26, said reduced end being threaded into a bore in a portion of the frame 27 of the machine and held in place by a lock nut 29. The enlarged end of this casing has a bore to receive a compression spring 3|, the tension of which may be varied by turning a screw-bolt 33 threaded through a cap 35 which is fastened to the outer open end of the casing 26 by screw-bolts 31. The spring 3| is located between the head of the plunger 25 and a disk 39, against which one end of the screw-bolt 33 bears. By turning the casings 26, the normal position of the plungers may be varied and by turning the screw-bolts 33, the tension of the springs 3| may be varied; and since the plungers 25 act upon the lower ends of the arms of the roll-carrier, they are more effective by reason of the leverage thus attained than are the springs l1.

It has been explained that the plungers 25 are spring-pressed. It should be noted, however, that the springs 3| which act upon the plungers can be compressed, if desired, by turning the screw-bolts 33 until the springs will-no longer yield, in which case the plungers 25 are rigidly held. In such case the normal positions of the plungers are 50 adjusted with reference to the thickness of the blanks to be split that just suflicient pressure will be exerted to distort the blanks during the action of the patrix.

When the machine comes to rest with the patrix roll held spaced as shown from the matrix roll, the ends of the plungers 25 are just touching the lower ends of the arms l5 of the patrix-rollcarrier. As soon as the forward end of a blank I00 has entered between the rolls, the plungers 25 become effective and act in conjunction with the spring I! to distort the forep-art of the blank while the matrix and the patrix rolls are in contact with it. When, after the completion of the splitting of that portion of the blank which is distorted, the patrix roll is released by the action of the slide rod 21 so that said roll moves nearer to the matrix roll, the plungers 25'are no longer eifective, and the patrix roll is pressed against the blank only by the springs ll. Thus a heavier pressure is applied to the blank while it is being distorted and a lighter pressure while it is not being distorted. No heavy blow or its equivalent is imparted to the blank, for example at the locality indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, and no deflection of the cut of the knife ensues.

Although the invention has been set forth as embodied in a particular machine, it should be.

understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular machine which has been shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A splitting machine having in combination a knife, a patrix roll and a cooperating matrix roll for feeding past the knife a blank which is wider at one portion than at another and for distorting the wider portion of the blank while it is being split, and twomeans for resisting relative movement of separation of the rolls, both means being effective during the splitting of a distorted portion of the blank and only one of the two being effective during the splitting of an undistorted portion.

2. A splitting machine having in combination a knife, a patrix roll and a cooperating matrix roll for feeding past the knife a blank which is wider at one portion than at another and for distorting the wider portion of the blank while it is being split, and two yielding means for resisting relative movement of separation of the rolls,

, both means being effective during the splitting of a distorted portion of the blank and only one of the two being effective during the splitting of an undistortedportion.

3. A machine for splitting a blank which is wider at one portion than at another and for distorting the wider portion of the blank during the splitting operation, said machine comprising a roll and a presser for forcing a portion of the blank into the matrix, means for preventing the matrix roll and the presser from approaching nearer to each other than a given distance during the splitting of the distorted portion of the blank and for permitting nearer approach during the splitting of an undistorted portion, and two means acting to'resist relative separation of the matrix roll and the presser, both of said means being effective during the splitting of the wider distorted portion of the blank and only one being effective during the splitting of the narrower undistorted portion.

4. A machine for splitting a blank of compressible material which is wider at one portion than at another, having in combination a knife and a pair of rolls for feeding the blank past the knife, said rolls being shaped to bend the wider portion but not the narrower portion of the blank, and two means for resisting movement of separation of said rolls during the distortion of the wider portion of the blank, one of the means becoming ineffective when the narrower unbent portion of the blank is being split.

5. A machine for splitting a blank of compressible material which is wider at one portion than at another, having in combination a knife and a pair of rolls for feeding the blank past the knife, said rolls being shaped to bend the wider but not the narrower portion of the blank and one of said rolls being bodily movable toward and from the other, means for resisting movement of separation of the rolls at all times, and other means acting in conjunction with said firstnamed means forincreasing the force of the resistance during thebending of the wider portion,

said other means being inoperative during the splitting of thenarrower portion of the blank.

6. A machine for splitting a blank of compressible material which is wider at one portion than at another, having in combination a knife 5 and a pair of rolls for feeding the blank past the knife, said rolls being shaped to bend the wider but not the narrower portion of the blank and one of said rolls being bodily movable toward and from the other, and yielding means for resisting movement of separation of the rolls during the bending operation with a force of a given magnitude and for resisting such movement with a force of less magnitude during the splitting of the narrower portion, the decrease in magnitude being greatly in excess of any change in tension i 

